Refrigeration system



Nov. 26,1935.

G.VARNEY REFRIGERATION SYSTEM Filed June 6, 1931 INVENTOR BY- ATTORNEYPatented Nov. '26, 1935 PATENT OFFlCE 2,021,911 nnrrrrannsrron svsrmGordon Varncy. mamas. I Application June 6, 1931, Serial No. 542,511; 25Claims. (01. 62-104),

This invention relates in general to the art of refrigeration, and moreparticularly to that phase of refrigeration relating to chilling andfreezing of perishable commodities, and is most specifically directedtothat phase of refrigeration designed to produce such freezing withsufficient rapidity to prevent the breaking down of cellular structuresor the segregation of the com-.

'ponent parts of such commodities. I

I am aware that the problem of quick freezing is not a new one and thatothers have endeavored, in various ways, to accomplish the resultsdesired. However, I have devised a method of, and means for, providingfor such quick cooling which I believe'to be novel and to be a distinctimprovement over any method of which I am, at present, aware.

It is the prime object of my invention to provide a means for and amethod'of rapid chilling and/or freezing of perishablecommodities, the

- rapidity of action of refrigeration being suficient to preventdisintegration or deterioration of the commodity in consideration.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in a refrigerationsystem, means for insuring a more-intimate and efficient heat exchangebetween the refrigerant and the article to be refrigerated.

with the above in mind, it is a further object of my invention toprovide a quick refrigeration system which can be economically operatedwith the minimum amount of apparatus-and refrigerants and which will, byits very nature, insure rapid and sure refrigeration.

It is a further object of my invention to use a liquid to fill thespaces-between the inner walls of the refrigeration chamber and thearticle to be refrigerated as a means for reducing friction Figure 2 isa transverse section on the lines 2-2 or Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2 of a modificationof my device showing a plurality of refrigeration tubes c: varying Ishapes and cross sectional areas.

' be comprised, as follows:

At I I have indicated a refrigeration shell through which arefrigeration tube 2 passes. The shell I is adaptable for use with anytype of refrigerant but, for purposes of illustration only, has beendisclosed as using the circulating liquid ammonia system, a liquid inlettube 3, a drain 4' and a gas outlet 5 to a condenser. Exterior-1y of theshell I have provided the tube with integrally formed hoppers 6 and 6'for insuring the maintenance of a proper level of the liquid 9 withinthe tube 2. At 1 I have. illustrated merely for purposes of disclosure,a plunger as the means for providing for the progression of the articles8 through the refrigerating tube 2. In the drawing the inlet 3terminates in a perforated pipe adapted to drop liquid ammonia directlyupon the refrigerating tube 2.

In Figure 3 'I have disclosed the shell as enclosing a plurality oftubes 2 of varying dimensions and configurations to conform to theshapes and sizes of the packages 8.

I'he liquid employed may be any suitable heat conductive fluid, such asPrestone, brine, or mercury, the choice of liquid depending largely uponthe nature of the package and whether it is wrapped in metal or somesuch container as sealed cellophane or card board, or the like.

Having described one form of my apparatus, the operation of my inventionwill be more clear- 1y understood from the following description of itsoperation and advantages.

' All inventions of this general nature of which I have hitherto beenaware have striven for an intimate contact between the refrigerant andthe article to be refrigerated and have resorted to 40 mechanical meansfor accomplishing this result.

I have disclosed a method in which the article to be refrigerated ispassed through a refrigeration tube approximating in size and shape thatof the article to be refrigerated. This provides for an initial fairlyclose thermal contact of the article with the refrigerating'tube. Theadditional fea ture of adding a liquid of high thermal conductivity tofill the refrigerating tube provides four additional advantageousfeatures; first, it prevents the existence of insulating air gapsbetween the article and the walls and provides ready heat transfer;secondly, it prevents frosting with re-v sulting heat insulation;thirdly, it provides a lubricating effect promoting the ready progressof a succession of articles through the tube; and fourthly, the liquid,by the principle of displacement, insures the intimate contact of alarge portion of the article with the refrigerating tube itself.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated surface, a relativelyslidable surface to be refrigerated, said two surfaces being in intimatethermal relation with eachother, and a film of heat conductive fluidfilling the .void between said surfaces.

2. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated surface, a relativelyslidable surface to be refrigerated, said two surfaces being. inintimate thermal contact'with each other, and a film of substantiallystatic heat conductive fluid filling the void between said surfaces.

3. A refrigerating apparatus consisting of a refrigerated surface inintimate thermal relationship with another surface to be refrigerated,and a film of heat conductive fluid filling the space between the saidtwo surfaces, and means for maintaining said film of fluid as arelatively thin film so that the surface of the article toberefrigerated may be as proximate as possible to said refrigeratedsurface without actual contact therewith.

4. A refrigerating apparatus consisting of a refrigerated surface inintimate thermal relationship with another surface to be refrigeratedand in relative sliding relationship with said refrigerated surface, anda film of substantially static heat conductive fluid filling the spacebetween the said two surfaces.

5. A refrigeration apparatus consisting of a refrigerated surface inintimate contact with another surface to be refrigerated and in relativesliding relationship with said refrigerated surface, the surfaces thuscontacted being wetted with a film of heat conductive fluidtherebetween.

6. A refrigeration apparatus consisting of a refrigerated surface inintimate contact with another surface to be refrigerated and in relativesliding relationship with said refrigerated surface, the surfaces thuscontacted being wetted with a film of substantially static heatconductive fluid therebetween.

7. A refrigerating surface, a surface to be refrigerated, and means forproviding and maintaininga film of fluid between said surfaces.

8. A refrigerating surface, a surface to be refrigerated, and means forproviding and maintaining a film of highly heat conductive fluid betweensaid surfaces.

9. ,A refrigerating surface, a surface to be refrigerated, said surfacesbeing positioned very close in thermal relationship with each other, anda relatively thin film of liquid interposed between said surfaces andwetting both and means for maintaining said thermal relationship andsaid thin film of liquid between said surfaces. g

10. In an apparatus for rapid refrigeration, a refrigerating surface, asurface to be refrigerated, and a relatively thin film of heatconductive fluid wetting both of said surfaces, and means formaintaining the thin film between said. sur-' faces. 7 v v 11. Inacooling apparatus, :a cooling means including a refrigerated surface ofsubstantial length," and a surface to be cooled, said surfaces,

being relatively movable'and spaced in intimate thermal relationship,and a thin film of heat con-' ductive fluid interposed between andwetting said surfaces, and means for maintaining said thermalrelationship and said film between said surfaces throughoutsubstantially the length thereof. I

12. A refrigerating apparatus including a heat conductive liquidsubstantially surrounding the article to be refrigerated, said liquid inturn being siirrounded by a refrigerated tube of such dimension as toclosely approximate the cross sectional dimension of the article passingthrough 10 the liquid, and a refrigerating chamber surrounding saidtube.

13. Arefrigerating apparatus including a heat conductive liquidsubstantially surrounding the article to be refrigerated, said liquid inturn being surrounded by a refrigerated tube of such dimension as toclosely -approximate the cross sectional dimension of the articlepassing through the liquid, and a refrigerating chamber surrounding saidtube on all sides throughout substantially its entire length. n

14. A refrigerating apparatus including aheat conductive liquidsubstantially surrounding the article to be refrigerated, said liquid inturn being surrounded by a refrigerated tube of such dimension as toclosely approximate the cross sectional dimension of the article passingthrough the liquid, and a refrigerating chamber surrounding said tubethroughout substantially its entire length.

,15. The method of refrigerating an article which consists in passingthe article through a refrigerating chamber, maintaining the inner wallsof said chamber in intimate thermal relationship with the article to berefrigerated, 36 leaving a space between said article and said walls andfilling said space with a relatively thin film of fiuid of high heatconductivity.

16. The method of refrigerating an article which consists in passing thearticle through a 40 refrigerating chamber, maintaining the inner wallsof said chamber in intimate thermal relationship with the article to berefrigerated, leaving a space between said article and said 'walls andfilling said space with a substantially static relatively thin film offluid of high heat conductivity.

17. As a quick freezing apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heatconduction tube extending through said chamber, said tube being filledwith a heat conducting fluid forreceiving objects to be refrigerated andfor forcing and maintaining a surface thereof in intimate thermalrelationship with the walls of said tube filling the space between saidarticle and said walls with a relatively thin film of said fluid.

18. As a quick freezing apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heatconduction tube extending through said chamber, said tube being filledwith substantially static heat conducting 50 fluid for receiving objectsto be refrigerated and forcing and maintaining the surface thereof inintimate thermal relationship with the inner. surface of said tube andfor filling the space between said article and said walls with arelatively thin film of said fluid.

19. As a quick freezing apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heatconduction tube extendingthrough said chamber, said tube being filledwith substantially static heat conducting fluid for receiving objects tobe refrigerated and forcing and maintaining the surface thereof inintimate thermal relationship with, the inner surface of said tube andfor filling the space between said article and said walls with arelatively thin film of said fluid, and means for lowering thetemperature of said chamber.

20. As a quick freezing apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heatconduction tube ex tending through said chamber, said tube being filledwith substantially static heat conducting fluid for receiving objects tobe refrigerated and for forcing a surface of said object into closethermal relationship with the inner surface of said tube and for fillingthe space between said article and said walls with a relatively thinfilm of said fluidgmeans for lowering the temperature of said chamber,and means for maintaining aproper liquid level in said tube.

21. A quick freezing apparatus including a heat conductive liquidsubstantially surrounding the article to be refrigerated, said liquid inturn being surrounded by a refrigerated tube of substantial length, andmeans for insuring the suspension of said article in said liquid, anintimate thermal relationship between the outer surface of said articleand the inner surface of said tube and a relatively thin film of saidfluid between said surfaces substantially throughout the length ofsaidtube.

, 22. A refrigerating apparatus including a substantially static heatconductive liquid substantially surrounding the article to berefrigerated, said liquid in turn being surrounded by a refrigeratedtube of substantial length, and means for insuring the suspension ofsaid article in said liquid, an intimate thermal relationship betweenthe outer surface of said article and the inner surface of said tube anda relatively thin film of said fluid between said surfaces substantiallythroughout the length of said tube and a refrigerating chambersurrounding said tube throughout substantially its entire length.

23. The method of refrigerating an article which consists in passing thearticle through a refrigerating chamber the inner walls of whichapproximate in cross sectional dimensions those of the article to berefrigerated and substantially filling the spaces between the innerwalls of said chamber and said article with a substantially staticbodyof mercury.

24. That method of refrigerating an article which consists inrefrigerating a separate surface, interposing a heat conductive fluidbetween the refrigerated surface and; the adjacent surface of saidarticle to be refrigerated, and bringing said surfaces .into closeproximity to each other, leaving only a relatively thin film of saidfluid separating said surfaces thus placed in intimate thermal relationwith each other.

25. That method of refrigerating an article which consists inrefrigerating an article which consists in refrigerating a separatesurface, interposing a heat conductive fluid between the refrigeratedsurface and the. adjacent surface of said article to be refrigerated,floating said article toward said refrigerated surface to bring saidsurfaces into close proximity to each other, leaving only a relativelythin film of said fiuid separating said surfaces thus placed in intimatethermal relation with each other.

- 7 GORDON VARNEY.

